Kazakhstan: encouraging children and adolescents to develop healthy behaviors

More than 500 school directors and education and public-health professionals from Kazakhstan participated in WHO’s health promoting schools initiative this year. During a series of capacity-building events in the country’s regions, working groups designated by the schools learned how to conduct a situational analysis using the WHO Schools for Health in Europe (SHE) rapid assessment tool, and how to plan actions based on assessment results and defined priorities, WHO informs on its website .

The most active champions from the regions also took part in the 5th European Conference on School Health Promotion – Health, Wellbeing and Education: Building a Sustainable Future, to share their experience and views on health promotion in schools. The event took place on 20–22 November 2019 in Moscow, Russian Federation.

25% of school-aged children and adolescents overweight or obese

Based on 2016 global estimates, in just 40 years the number of children and adolescents with obesity has risen more than 10-fold, from 11 million to 124 million. According to data from the latest surveys:

• 6% of school-aged children and adolescents in Kazakhstan are obese and 19.1% have overweight problems;

• only 49.4% of those aged 8–10 and 53.3% of those aged 11–15 eat breakfast;

• only 38.4% of adolescents eat fruits every day and only 43.6% eat vegetables;

• 66% of those aged 11–15 do not participate in the recommended level of daily physical activity (60 minutes per day);

• only 56.9% of adolescents reported that their health is excellent, and 25.2% of children – mainly girls – have multiple complaints about their health; and

• 7.1% of adolescents reported that they have had sex at least once.

To address this and other alarming health issues among young people, the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan requested WHO’s assistance in scaling up the health promoting schools initiative within the country. The National Center for Public Health of Kazakhstan is partnering with WHO and the SHE network to expand the initiative on a national scale.

«The WHO approach in this matter is to strengthen technical partnership with all involved parties in Kazakhstan,» explained Dr Oleg Chestnov, WHO Representative in Kazakhstan. «Our goal is to realize this concept in all local schools by the end of 2021.»

Health promoting schools initiative to improve children’s health

WHO defines a health promoting school as one that constantly seeks to strengthen its capacity to promote healthy living, learning and working conditions. The concept is growing more powerful every day in Kazakhstan. In 2019, 11 selected regions introduced a whole-school approach to the health promoting schools concept and tools. The results of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) and Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) studies from Kazakhstan were also communicated to all involved schools.

In 2016, SHE approaches and tools were piloted in 6 of Kazakhstan’s schools: 2 in Mangystau Region, 2 in Kyzylorda Region, and 2 in the cities of Nur-Sultan and Almaty. During a year of activities, school administrations, working groups and regional authorities received comprehensive support from the WHO Country Office in Kazakhstan and WHO/Europe to implement the health promoting school approach. These schools are now acting as trainers and exemplary models for scaling up the initiative in the country.

«For the first time, I feel like adults are interested in me and in what I am interested in, and that they are listening to me,» stressed Talgat, a student of Kyzylorda Oblast General School No. 198. «It feels good to be heard, and it gives me energy to keep going, be better and stay healthy!»

The 2019 technical consultations and train-the-trainer sessions organized by WHO and the National Center for Public Health included more than 10 regional meetings. In 2020, the National Center for Public Health will continue to support the scale-up of activities.

WHO launched the health promoting schools initiative in collaboration with the United Nations in 2017. Key objectives of the initiative include promoting health education, positive development, and healthy behaviors such as physical activity and good nutrition.